Colchester

Colchester's population expanded between the last two censuses. Data from the census also show there were changes in housing tenure and religion.

The population passed 170,000

In the 10 years leading up to the latest census, the population of Colchester increased by 11%, from almost 156,000 to 173,000.

The addition of about 17,000 people means this area's population increased faster than the rate of growth across England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Colchester was home to, on average, 3.8 people per football pitch-sized piece of land (about 7,140 square metres).

Population density was higher than the average across Eastof England

Population density (usual residents per 7,140 square metres) across Eastof England, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

Change in Colchester housing

The percentage of households that owner their home fell in Colchester, but at a slower rate than in Worcester, a statistically similar local authority area.

In Colchester, the proportion of home ownership decreased from 72% in 2001 to 66% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion in Worcester decreased from 73% to 64%.

Across Eastof England, the share of households that owner their home decreased from 72% to 68%.

Private renting in Colchester increased from 11% to 19%, while the rate of social housing decreased from 15% to 14%.

The rate of home ownership was lower than across Eastof England

Percentage of households that that owner their home across local authority areas in Eastof England and the average across England, March 2011

Religion in Colchester

The number of people in Colchester that described themselves as having no religion increased from about 29,000 in 2001 to about 54,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 18% to 31% of the local population.

The percentage increased by more than the average across Eastof England (from 17% to 28%) and the average across England (from 15% to 25%).

The number of people in Colchester that described themselves as Christian decreased from just over 110,000 in 2001 to about 100,000 in 2011 (from 72% to 58%). The number of people who did not disclose their religious affiliation increased from about 12,000 to just under 13,000. However, as a percentage of the total population, this represented a decrease from 7.8% to 7.3%.

About 2,800 people (0.8%) said they were Muslim, up from just under 1,200 in 2001 (1.6%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between religious groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population without a religion in Colchester increased by 13 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, East and Colchester by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of Colchester residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 7.2% to 4.3% between the last two censuses.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just over 8 in 10 (84%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 71% in 2001. The percentage of Colchester residents that described their health as fair decreased from 21% to 12%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Eastof England (from 7.6% in 2001 to 4.7% in 2011). Across England, the proportion fell from 9.1% to 5.5%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Colchester decreased by 2.9 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Colchester, Eastof England and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

More students

The percentage of Colchester residents that were studying increased from 2.9% to 4.5% in the 10 years leading up to the latest census.

In 2011, just over one in two (54%) people aged 16 to 74 said they were employed, compared with 55% in 2001. The percentage of Colchester residents that were unemployed increased from 2.3% to 3.5%.

The proportion of students increased here at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Eastof England (from 2.3% in 2001 to 3.0% in 2011). Across England, the proportion increased from 2.6% to 3.5%.

The percentage of students in Colchester increased by 1.6 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 in Colchester, Eastof England and England that said they were in education, March 2001 and March 2011

More people worked short hours

The percentage of employed people in Colchester working less than 16 hours increased from 2.0% to 3.4% in the decade leading up to the most recent census.

In 2011, just under one in eight (12%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, compared with 15% in 2001.

The proportion of people working less than 16 hours in a week increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Eastof England (from 1.9% in 2001 to 2.9% in 2011). Across England, the proportion increased from 1.9% to 3.1%.

The proportion of people working less than 16 hours in a week in Colchester increased by 1.4 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Colchester, Eastof England and England that said they had worked less than 16 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

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